Toe-plate press



L. T. ROWE.

TOE PLATE PRESS. APPLI'CATION FILED OCT. a1. 1918.

lflwgw Patented 001:. 24, 1922.

3 a i which supports a post 21 formed integrally Dayton,

i n o hai LEWIS T. RO'WE, 0F DAYTON, UHIO.

"roisrnarn rianss.

, Application filed October 31, 1918. Serial No. 260,429.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Lewis T. Rowe, a citizenof the United States, residing at State of Ohio, have invented a certainnew and useful Toe-Plate Press, of

which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

This invention relates to machines for attaching protecting plates tothe soles of boots and shoes. i

a The chief object of the present invention is to provide a machinewhichis particularly adapted for applying protecting plates to the toeportion of the soles of shoes in such a manner that the plate can belocated upon. the sole in correct relation to the toe and can be quicklyand securely fastened therc f Other and further objects of thisinvention will be apparent from the following description of a preferredembodiment thereof, reference being made to the accoin panying drawing.

in the drawing Fig 1. is a front elevation of the toe plate pressincluding the present invention;

Fig, 2 is a side elevation, the hand lever being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the plungershowing the toe plate in position; and i Fig. 4e is a side view of thetoe plate which may be -applied to a, shoe by means of the presentlnventlon. a a

Referring to the draw1ngs,20 isthe base Lever 23 is provided with acylindrical surface 24 which engages with thenotched upper end 25 ofaplunger 26, which is slid ably mounted in a bearing formed in thepost21. Plunger 26 is provided with a notch 27 which is engagedbytheloop 28 of a spring. 29, having intermediate portions thereofcoiledaround studs 30 and 31, which are fixed upon post 21, and the endportions thereof coiled around studs 32 and 33 which are also fixeduponpost 21. f y

The lower or driving surface of the plunger 26 is provided with a recess35 which is shaped to conform with the edges of the toe plate 50.Theplunger 26 is provided'with a groove 36 in which a leaf spring 37 issecured by means of screw 38. Spring 37 eX- and the upper surface of thelast {t0 upon which the sole of the shoe rests is downwardly inclinedrearwardly of the toe portion4-2 at an angle of approxlmately fivedegrees.

The operation of the toeplate press, is as 3 follows i A shoe 60,indicated by dot and dash lines, is placed on the last 40in the positionshown in Fig. 1, and with one hand pressing rearwardly, against the heelof the shoe, the operator forces the lever 23 downwardly, therebycausing the plunger 26 carrying the plate 50 to descend upon the toeportion of the sole of the shoe. The prongs 51, of the plate 50piercethe sole and are clinched baclr upon the inside thereof. The lever 23 isreleased, and the spring 29 causes theplunger 26 and lever 23 to ascend.Upward movement of the lever 23 is limited by a stop 23, formed on saidlever 23, which cooperates with the post 21. i i

In order to insure the secure attachment of the plate to the sole, theupper surface of the last is inclined in the nni-i'uier de scribed so asto bring the tip of the toe portion at an elevation above other parts ofthe. underside or foot side of the sole when the sole is placed on thelast. This arrangement is neccssary,since generally shoes are in a Worncondition before being. brought in by their wearer for the applicationof the toe plates. When in this condition, the sole of a shoe has beenbevelled off at the tip of the toe portion due to the scraping of thesole onthe pavement. To apply toe plates to shoes in this condition, apress having a lastparallel to the bottom surface of the plunger fordriving on the toe plate cannot be used since the front prong of theplate will not be; securely fastened to the sole. Butbyshaping thelast'in the manner described and illustrated,this difficulty isovercome, and each prong of the plate will function properly to securelyfasten the plate upon the sole. Y

When a shoe sole becomes worn off at the toe portion, a more or lesswell defined ridge or junction line is formed showing where the wornsurface of the toe portion joins the much less worn or normal portion ofthe sole. The five-degree angle of inclination of the last has beenchosen, because, in the vast majority of cases, when a. shoe worn downat the toe is placed in inverted portion over the last, this ridge orjunction line will be substantially in a-line'ment with the plunger 26and will be located above other parts of the outside of the sole. As aresult of this, when the plunger descends carrying with it the plate 50,plate 50 will contact first with this ridge line and the heel of theplate will extend over the normal portion of the sole while the toeofplate 50 worn toe portion of the when the full pressure is the prongs 51of the plate 50 back upon the under side of the sole, the portion of thesole adj acent this ridge line will be compressed more than any otherportion. Now when the pressure of plunger 26 is relieved, this morehighly compressed portion will tend to expand to its original thicknesswith greater force than the portions of the sole covered by plate 50which has been com pressed to a lesser degree. The result of this isthat when the pressure of plunger 26 is relieved, the plate 50 will bowoutwardly slightly and the prongs 51 will tend to grip the sole morefirmly.

Another advantage resulting rearward declination of the last surface isthat the shoe will not slip on the last when pressure is applied by theplunger 26. The shoe is moved as far back on the last as it will gobefore the plunger is caused to descend. If the plunger causes the shoeto shift on the last at all, this shifting would tend to occur in arearward direction; but such motion is prevented because the toe of thelast acts as a. stop for the inside of the toe of the shoe.

WVhile the device described constitutes a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, it is to be understood that other forms orembodiments might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

I claim:

1. In a toe plate press, the combination with a movable element having adriving surface for driving a toe plate on the sole of a shoe, of meansforsupporting the shoe with the sole thereof in a plane inclined withrespect to the driving surface of the movable element, the underside ofthe toe of the sole being located nearer to the driving surface thanother portions of the 'foot side of the sole when the shoe is placedsole. Obviously, applied to clinch from the extends over the in invertedposition over the supporting means.

In a toe plate press, the combination with shoe holding moans oi toeplate holding means, one of said means being movable relatively to theother, said shoe holding means having provisions for supporting the shoewith the sole thereof in a plane inclined to the plane oi, the toe plateholding means with the underside of the toe portion oi the sole locatednearer to said last named means than other portions of the foot side ofthe sole when the shoe is placed in iiwerted position over thesupporting means.

3. In a toe plate press, the combination with a. movable plunger havin adriving surface at one end thereof, or a last for supporting the sole olthe shoe, said last having the toe portion thereof in alignment: withthe driving surface oi the plunger, and having the sole supportingsurface inclined to the plane of the driving surface of: the plunger,the said toe portion of the last being located nearest said drivingsurface.

4. In a toe plate press, the combination with a plunger ha *ing adriving snrt'ace and means to retain a toe plate temporarily thereon; ofa last for supporting the sole ol a shoe, the sole supporting surface ofthe last being rearwardly downwardly inclined from the toe portionthereof at such an angle that the ridge portion of a worn sole ormcd bythe junction of the worn toe pori n with the normal sole portion will belocated nearest to the driving surface.

5. In a toe plate press. the combination with a piun; r having a drivingsurl ce and menus to retain a toe plate tenngorarily thereon; of a lasttor supporting the sole of a shoe, the

solo supuorting surface of the last being rearwardly downwardly inclined"from the toe portion thereof ap 'n'oximatcly at an angle of live dences so that the ridge portion of a worn role formed by the junction oithe worn toe portion with the normal sole portion will be locatednearest to the driving surface.

6. In a toe plate press, the combination with a. frame supporting a lastand a vertically disposed bearing; of a plunger slidablv mounted Li saidbearing and having toe clip retaining means at its lower end, a notchedupper end, and a transverse notch intermediate its ends; a lever pivotedupon said frame and engaging the notched end of said plunger; and a loopspring engaging said transverse notch to restrain downward movement ofsaid plunger.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

LEWIs T. ROWE.

